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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. club — a group
  3. ground — a position
  4. clip — a video
  5. lean — thin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. lean — to bend
  10. club — for golf
  11. root — the cause
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ground — crushed
  15. clip — to cut
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. clip — for paper
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bass — low music
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com